Senate District 67

We return this week to the tightly contested races for seats in the wake of surprise resignations by the only two Hmong officeholders in the State Legislature. Two weeks ago, we interviewed four of the nine DFLers seeking to replace State Senator Mee Moua who departed her District 67 seat on the last day of session this past Spring. Coming so late in the election season as it did, and with a real plethora of candidates surfacing overnight, the District 67 DFL declined to endorse. This means that one of the nine primary candidates for the nomination could emerge the winner with as little as 20% of the total vote - a vote that, because of the ridiculous recasting of the primary election in August - the 10th - will itself be even lower than 20% of the eligible electors, most of whom will be lollygagging at the beach or up north at their cabins or in Europe.

A better margin if not a better voter turnout will come with the primary shakeout for House District 65A, left vacant by departing Representative Cy Thao. In this case, just two candidates are squaring off, and one of them IS DFL-endorsed. But Jeremiah Ellis faces a formidable challenge from a story of homelessness rising to activism in the person of Rena Moran. The race may be close, but the turnout may, again, be too low to be truly representative of all the people in these districts, 65A being no exception.

We return this week to the tightly contested races for seats in the wake of surprise resignations by the only two Hmong officeholders in the State Legislature. Two weeks ago, we interviewed four of the nine DFLers seeking to replace State Senator Mee Moua who departed her District 67 seat on the last day of session this past Spring. Coming so late in the election season as it did, and with a real plethora of candidates surfacing overnight, the District 67 DFL declined to endorse. This means that one of the nine primary candidates for the nomination could emerge the winner with as little as 20% of the total vote - a vote that, because of the ridiculous recasting of the primary election in August - the 10th - will itself be even lower than 20% of the eligible electors, most of whom will be lollygagging at the beach or up north at their cabins or in Europe.

A better margin if not a better voter turnout will come with the primary shakeout for House District 65A, left vacant by departing Representative Cy Thao. In this case, just two candidates are squaring off, and one of them IS DFL-endorsed. But Jeremiah Ellis faces a formidable challenge from a story of homelessness rising to activism in the person of Rena Moran. The race may be close, but the turnout may, again, be too low to be truly representative of all the people in these districts, 65A being no exception.

This week, TTT'S ANDY DRISCOLL looks in on Senate District 67, heavy with contenders because of Senator Mee Moua's rather sudden retirement on the last day of Session 2010. Nine DFLers are vying for the nomination August 10, a date which is itself discouraging for voters given Minnesota's penchant for enjoying their short summers, free of politics, except for the incessant commercials keeping attention on the governor's primary for the moment.

This week, we zero in on Senate District 67, heavy with contenders because of Senator Mee Moua's rather sudden retirement on the last day of Session 2010. Nine DFLers are vying for the nomination August 10, a date which is itself discouraging for voters given Minnesota's penchant for enjoying their short summers, free of politics, except for the incessant commercials keeping attention on the governor's primary for the moment.